2,000 years later, it is virtually impossible to overestimate the effect of the birth of Christ.

In this most blessed time of year, the world once again pauses (or speeds up) to commemorate the birth of Christ at Christmas, even as commercial as it has become. This includes even in atheistic and communist countries. They are pulled into it, willingly or not, because the gravitational pull is just too strong. Like the star that was shown that Christmas night that could not be ignored, so it is with the effects, both ancient and modern, of the coming of Christ.

This Christmas season, it is good to zoom out and see how every single person has benefited from His coming. What are these effects of Christianity?

Introduced the Ethos of Caring and Compassion

Compassion was an unknown quality prior to the coming of Christ. In the Roman Empire, compassion was seen as weak. Strength and domination were the positive virtues. It was Christians who first began to care for the poor and the weak, showing compassion even to their enemies. This began to grow and swell in society and civilization in general, as the Christian faith spread throughout the world. Now it is seen as normal to be compassionate, and those who fail to show compassion to the weak or the poor are looked down upon in most places of the world, especially in Western civilization, which was birthed from the Christian faith.

Elevated the Status of Women

Women were severely looked down upon in the ancient world in both Roman and Greek societies. They were seen as basically for the purpose of bearing children. They were not given equal status in almost any society. Faithfulness in marriage was required of women but not of men. You first see Jesus dignifying women in the gospels, as many women began to follow Him and were changed by Him. He elevated the status of women even in the Jewish society of that day.

Protected Children

Like women, children were seen as less than others. There were virtually no rights of equality given to children. They could be disposed of at will, and many baby girls were literally thrown away. Boys were often the subject of widespread abuse in the ancient world. Children began to be protected from both harm from society and abuse by their own parents as the Christian faith spread.

Birthed the Study of Science and Education in General

The God of the Bible was seen as a rational God. In fact, the very name given to Christ in the gospel of John was the Greek word “logos.” Logos meant divine reason; it’s where we get our word “logic.” This God of reason was unique in the ancient world, and in the Middle Ages, it began to spur an examination of the created universe, which was the birth of modern science. Almost all of the early scientists were very devout men, usually monks, who studied knowledge and nature in the monasteries. This culture of study also birthed the modern educational system. Around the same time, colleges and universities were birthed in France and Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries. Universal education began to spread, advocated by leaders of the faith like Martin Luther. Our modern idea that we live in a rational universe with fixed principles that can be discovered by investigation was not an atheistic idea; rather, it was birthed from the Christian worldview.

Gave Dignity to Labor and Created the Modern Capitalistic System

In the ancient world, work or labor was looked down upon. It was not the pursuit of a noble man. This is why slavery was so widespread. People did not want to do the work themselves. There was no dignity in labor. It was looked down upon by the ancient Greeks as well as the Romans. Wealth was obtained through conquest and the conscription of slaves. Jesus came as a common laborer, which was revolutionary for His time period. He dignified work through the work of His own hands. The early church taught the ethics of labor. This was an echo of what was taught in the Old Testament as well. The Old Testament not only taught the dignity of labor but that prosperity would come from diligence. Martin Luther believed that work was meant to be an extension of worship. This rippled down through the centuries and resulted in the Puritans, who settled America, not only dignifying labor but also business and even prosperity. Our modern work ethic comes from the Christian faith. The modern idea about business and success comes not from greed, but from the idea that work was to be seen as ethical and an extension of virtue. People today, either Christian or not, talk about finding a sense of purpose in their work. This was unknown in the ancient world. It is a direct reflection of the coming of Christ and the birth of the Christian faith, which has spread worldwide.

Introduced the Doctrine of Equality Which Created Our Modern System of Human Rights and Democratic Governments

Equality was also an unknown idea in the ancient world. The doctrine of creation and the doctrine of redemption, meaning Jesus died for all of humanity, implies or directly states that all people, regardless of station in life, are intrinsically equal. This doctrine of equality, which is so pervasive that we now take it for granted, is the basis for human rights. It is also the basis for our modern democratic system of government, which, despite its many flaws, is the fairest of all forms of government. Democratic government implies that every person should have a voice. This proceeds all the way back to the founding of the Christian faith, without which we would still be living under oppressive and tyrannical forms of government, which happened in many monarchies. Of course, there are dictators today, usually in communist countries. This dictatorship requires the eradication of the Christian faith in order to survive. Fortunately, these are the exceptions and not the norm today.

Christ Has Given Cleansing, Transformation, and Freedom at a Personal Level to Countless Millions of People

In addition to these wonderful forms of thought and practice, perhaps the greatest contribution Jesus Christ has given humanity is the personal transformation, cleansing, and hope that He has given to untold millions throughout the ages. In excess of 2 billion people today claim to be Christians in one form or another. It is this personal transformation, in fact, which has created the systems that benefit us all. Systems, whether of government, education, science, or culture, are really, in fact, only the accumulation of the individuals within that system. It is this personal transformation that has driven all of this. This is why the Christian faith has survived and thrived despite the endless attacks it has endured throughout the ages, including our age. You cannot tell someone who has experienced this level of transformation and personal resurrection that it is not real and that this faith does not matter.

A Crater Too Big to Ignore

Those who would, willfully or not, ignore the enormous effects of the coming of Christ that we all enjoy today are like those who ignore a huge crater and tell us that it was not caused by a giant meteor. Don’t believe your lying eyes.  The coming of Christ is that giant meteor.

We all owe our Savior and Redeemer an enormous debt of gratitude, especially those of us who live in countries founded on the Christian worldview. Let us celebrate.